Future 'Star Wars' movie will have a female director, assures Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy

Kathleen Kennedy spoke at the BAFTA Awards about hiring a female director — although there has not been any future 'Star Wars' films announced
'The Rise of Skywalker' (IMDb)
'The Rise of Skywalker' (IMDb)

The year 2020 is set to be one for female directors in the realm of big-budget franchise movies, with big-name superhero movies coming out this year being directed by women. Superhero films aren't the only big-budget franchises out here, however, and people are wondering when there will be a female director on a 'Star Wars' film.

According to Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, that time will be coming soon. Speaking to BBC News at the BAFTA Awards, the producer said that there will be a female director on a 'Star Wars' movie soon.

There have already been female directors on the live-action 'The Mandalorian' — most notably, Deborah Chow — but none yet on any of the 'Star Wars' movies.

At the moment, however, it's not even clear what films there are to be directed, much less who will be directing them. The 'Star Wars' films upto this point have all revolved around what's come to be known as the Skywalker Saga.

'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' brought an end to that saga, and the future of the franchise — at least as far as the movies are concerned — remains unclear.

Producer Kathleen Kennedy attends the 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' press conference at the Ritz Carlton Tokyo on December 7, 2017, in Tokyo, Japan (Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images for Disney)

There are, however, movies planned — Walt Disney Studios has claimed released dates for three movies for 2022, 2024, and 2026 — although what that truly amounts to remains to be seen. No creative teams or titles have been attached to any of these films. 

Kennedy had also spoken to the LA Times about the future of 'Star Wars. "Obviously, that's what's we've been spending so much time talking about, and it's a really important transition for Star Wars," Kennedy said.

"What we've been focused on these last five or six years is finishing that family saga around the Skywalkers. Now is the time to start thinking about how to segue into something new and different," she added.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

The Prime Video romantic comedy’s next chapter brings a new director and a move to Italy.
2026-10-19T19:26:54.000Z
'C.L.A.Y.' marks Simon Afram’s feature directing debut, with filming set for November in London.
2026-10-19T18:18:23.000Z
The sequel to the 2011 motion capture adventure now has a finished script and a director
2026-10-19T07:16:32.000Z
The movie was first announced months after ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ closed the Skywalker saga
2026-10-19T04:56:20.000Z
‘You Can See Everything’ takes an unexpected turn after Elizabeth Holmes begins her prison sentence.
2026-10-17T16:42:01.000Z
Diablo Cody’s latest comments give ‘Jennifer’s Body’ fans a new reason to keep an eye on the sequel.
2026-10-17T14:59:25.000Z
Soderbergh will direct the last weeks of shooting on the DC sequel while Reeves stays off set
2026-10-17T04:14:54.000Z
‘Red Rising’ is a popular sci-fi dystopian franchise that has sold more than six million copies
2026-10-17T03:44:38.000Z
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim filmed Elizabeth Holmes for 34 days before she reported to a Texas prison
2026-10-16T08:41:10.000Z
Josh Brolin and Austin Abrams' survival thriller 'Whalefall' follows a diver trapped inside a giant whale
2026-10-16T05:09:43.000Z